Psychometric Properties of the Stockholm Syndrome Scale; a Study of the Women Referred to the Legal Medicine Organization

This study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Stockholm syndrome scale.

The present study is a kind of cross-sectional descriptive-survey research. The statistical population included all women with a total number of 2210 after suing their husbands for spousal abuse in Mashhad city courts from October to March 2017. The statistical sample in this study included 360 people who were selected by a convenience sampling method. Data collection tools included the Stockholm Syndrome Scale (SSS) and the revised adult attachment questionnaire (RAAS). Data analysis was performed using exploratory factor analysis, correlation method, Cronbachchr('39')s alpha, and split-half reliability coefficient in the SPSS 26 program.

The studychr('39')s findings based on exploratory factor analysis confirmed the three-factor structure of the scale that these factors (core, psychological damage, and love dependence) explained 52.36% of the scalechr('39')s variance. The convergent and divergent validity scale results through the adult attachment questionnaire indicated that the Stockholm syndrome scale had a significant negative relationship with secure attachment and a significant positive correlation with both avoidant and ambivalent attachments. Cronbachchr('39')s alpha coefficient is 0.886, and the split-half coefficient is 0.707 indicated the desired reliability of the scale.

The results of this study indicated the good validity and reliability of the Stockholm syndrome scale in the Iranian sample; thus, this scale can be used as a reliable tool in marital research.